Essentially dubbed the Frank Llyoyd Wright of Europe by Wright himself, Adolf Loos possessed a talent for architecture and interior design as potent as his outspoken criticism of Art Nouveau and excessive ornamentation. A forerunner of the International Style, Loos exercised immense restraint in his building projects as well as his designs for chairs, tables, storage pieces and other furniture, and wrote prolifically on his disdain for taking a decorative approach to architecture.
The son of a stonemason and sculptor, Loos was born in 1870 in what is now Brno in the Czech Republic. He studied architecture in Dresden in 1889, completed a year of military service and moved to the United States by 1893. He visited the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago and came to appreciate the American approach to design over his three-year stay before returning to Vienna.
An avid proponent of simplicity, Loos hated fluff above all else. In his best known essay, “Ornament and Crime,” he states “the evolution of culture is synonymous with the removal of ornamentation from objects of everyday use” — a principle evident in both his architectural work and furniture. His writing was profoundly influential for practitioners of the International Style that would emerge later as well as the likes of prolific Swiss-born French architect and modernist prophet Le Corbusier.
Loos challenged the prevailing architecture and decorating styles of his time, and disliked the ornate work associated with the Vienna Secession and Gesamtkunstwerk — the concept of a house as total work of art — an ideal pursued by a collective born from the Secession called the Wiener Werkstätte. To Loos, design should prioritize function, and any ornamentation devoid of a structural purpose was childish and unnecessary.
Loos’s furniture — alongside the work of fellow Austrian architect Josef Hoffman — was the subject of an exhibition at the Museum of Applied Arts in 2014. His architecture projects, including the Viennese Goldman and Salatsch building, the Austrian Steiner House and the Villa Müller in Prague, are celebrated by design enthusiasts all over the world.
Find vintage Adolf Loos seating, lighting and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Adolf Loos: cloakroom bar
By Adolf Loos
Located in Purkersdorf, AT
Wall coat rack with 3 hooks made of brass and solid oak, designed by Adolf Loos. The wardrobe was made around 1910. Nice old patina
Brass
Adolf Loos for Knize Taylorshop, Coathook Re-Edition by Woka Lamps Vienna
By Adolf Loos, Woka Lamps
Located in Vienna, AT
Designed for the Knize Taylor-shop in Vienna, Paris and Berlin. A three-hole, or a four-hole version is avaliable.
Brass
Adolf Loos: coat rack
By Adolf Loos
Located in Purkersdorf, AT
Wall coat rack with 3 hooks made of nickel-plated brass (old patina, can be polished) and solid oak wood, designed by Adolf Loos. The wardrobe was made around 1910. Nice old patina
Brass, Nickel
Adolf Loos Art Nouveau Brass Wall Hook, Werkstätte Hagenauer, Austria, 1910
By Adolf Loos, Werkstätte Hagenauer Wien
Located in Vienna, AT
A beautiful Art Nouveau brass wall hook, designed by Adolf Loos, executed by Werkstaette Hagenauer, Vienna, 1910. In very good condition.
Brass
1970s Italian Bamboo Coat Rack
Located in Cantù, IT
Made of bamboo, it is a Classic piece, ideal for Minimalist lovers. Easily movable thanks to the wheels. Private collection Di Domenico Rugiano
Bamboo
$2,546Sale Price|28% Off
H 71.26 in W 47.25 in D 9.06 in
Giò Ponti in the Manner Italian Midcentury Coat Racks 50's
By Gio Ponti
Located in bari, IT
Walnut wood structure coat rack with brass table anchored to the structure, embellished with brass circles creating harmony in the wooden panel. Crystal hood with brass anchors. 1950...
Brass
$1,600
H 10 in W 25 in D 10.5 in
1900s Thonet Vienna Art Nouveau Secessionist Bentwood Wall Coat Rack, Austria
By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH, August Thonet, Thonet
Located in Vienna, AT
A beautiful, original, and authentic Art Nouveau (Jugendstil / Secession) wall-mounted coat and hat rack, dating from around 1900 and produced by Gebrüder Thonet, Vienna, Austria. Th...
Bentwood, Wood
$4,656
H 88.59 in W 55.12 in D 20.67 in
French Art Nouveau Style Dressing Armoire Beveled Mirror, circa 1920
Located in Labrit, Landes
French two doors cabinet. A bevelled mirror on the central door. An elegant storage cabinet made of solid ash and burl ash veneer, dating from the early 20th century. Its refined des...
Brass
Art Nouveau Rosewood Wardrobe
Located in Kraków, Małopolska
Art Nouveau rosewood wardrobe. Second wardrobe on my second auction. The furniture from our workshop is manually covered with high-gloss shellac Laquer.
Walnut
Brass Coat Wall Hooks by Hertha Baller
By Herta Baller
Located in Vienna, AT
Two beautiful Austrian brass hooks by manufactured by Hertha Baller in Austria in the 1950s.
Brass
$2,593
H 77.96 in W 59.06 in D 27.17 in
Early 20th Century Whitewashed Massive Baltic Pine Two-Door Armoire
Located in Barntrup, DE
This beautiful and massive early 20th-century Baltic armoire features paneled doors and two pull-out drawers below, three massive turned column pilasters, and two half-columns on each door. The exterior front side has a whitewashed finish. Inside, the pine remains in its raw color. The right side is equipped with two drawers, in both sides, there are original wooden clothes hangers...
Metal
$330
H 7 in W 3.5 in D 4 in
Walter Bosse Cat Zoo Brass Animal Wall Hook by Herta Baller, Austria, 1950s
By Walter Bosse, Herta Baller
Located in Vienna, AT
A lovely Austrian modernist animal zoo coat wall hook, displaying a cat, our favourite hook. A humorous design by Walter Bosse, executed by Herta Baller, Vienna / Austria in the 19...
Brass
Bar Cabinet with Wood Inlays, Italy, 1950s
Located in Wolfurt, AT
Bar cabinet, Italy, 1950s Walnut veneer with two inlays of different woods with traditional figures, inside mirror with lighting. Crystal glass with coloured paper applied to the...
Brass
Art Nouveau Rosewood Wardrobe
Located in Kraków, Małopolska
Art Nouveau rosewood wardrobe. Second wardrobe on my second auction. The furniture from our workshop is manually covered with high-gloss shellac Laquer.
Walnut
$450
H 4.5 in W 40.13 in D 10.38 in
Vintage Mid-Century Modern Wardrobe Coat Rack Aubock Style, Austria
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Classic Mid-Century Modern, 1950s wardrobe coat rack, Austria. Nice addition to your room, entry hall or just for your collection of design items. Made of metal, with nice patina. Fo...
Metal
Original antique brass coat hook by Adolf Loos
By Adolf Loos
Located in Vienna, AT
Original massive brass coat hanger by Adolf Loos, designed in Vienna in the year 1907. This famous Elephant coat hanger was used in the apartment of Paul Khuner, 1040 Vienna. Docum...
Brass
Art Nouveau Brass Wall Hook by Adolf Loos for Knize, Austria, 1909
By Adolf Loos
Located in Vienna, AT
A beautiful Art Nouveau brass coat hook, designed in 1909 by Adolf Loos for the Viennese Tailor Knize & Comp. In very good condition with marginal patina. We offer more identical hoo...
Brass
Sold
H 8 in W 2 in D 4.5 in
Adolf Loos Art Nouveau Brass Wall Hook, Werkstätte Hagenauer, Austria, 1910
By Werkstätte Hagenauer Wien, Adolf Loos
Located in Vienna, AT
A beautiful Art Nouveau brass wall hook, designed by Adolf Loos, executed by Werkstaette Hagenauer, Vienna, 1910. In very good condition.
Sold
H 8 in W 2 in D 5 in
Adolf Loos Art Nouveau Brass Wall Coat Hook, Werkstätte Hagenauer, Austria, 1910
By Werkstätte Hagenauer Wien, Adolf Loos
Located in Vienna, AT
A beautiful Art Nouveau brass wall coat hook designed by Adolf Loos, executed by Werkstätte Hagenauer, Vienna, 1910. In good condition with charming patina.
Brass
Up to Six Wall Hooks by Adolf Loos for Knize, Brass, Austria, 1909
By Adolf Loos
Located in Vienna, AT
Up to six beautiful Art Nouveau brass coat hooks, designed in 1909 by Adolf Loos for the Viennese Tailor Knize & Comp. In good condition with nice patina. Sold and priced per piece.
Brass